The Places We've Been
by Sirens And Muses
Summary: Every place has its own story to tell. KratosXAnna oneshots, each from a different place. Rated T for Trouble With A Capital T And That Rhymes With P And That Stands For Pool.
1. The Middle Of A Forest

**Siren: Because we don't have enough shit to do. ****Three other fics to update...**

**Muse: Finals to study for...**

**Siren: Wow, we are overbooked. Anywoo...**

**Muse: Disclaimer!**

**(poof) Seto Kiaba: Sirens & Muses do not own ToS or Yu-Gi-Oh.**

**Muse: You're such a douchebag.**

**Siren: A _SEXY, SEXY_ douchebag. (drools)**

**Kiaba: (shifts eyes nervously) Yeah...Imma go now. (poofs)**

**Siren: Review, please!**

* * *

"Clothes."

Kratos glanced up from where he sat trying to light a fire. Anna was standing in front of him, an annoyed look on her face. "What?" he asked finally.

"Clothes. I need them. Something to sleep in, at the very least."

"Why didn't you bring clothes from your house in Luin?" he asked irritably.

"It wasn't the first thing on my mind," she retorted. "In case you don't remember, my home was on fire and being overrun by Desians."

"…I can't help you." He went back to the fire.

Groaning, Anna slumped onto the ground next to him. "Don't you have anything?"

"No. Just sleep in the dress you're wearing now," he said.

"That's really unhygienic, Kratos."

"It's either that or sleep naked."

Anna snorted. "Nothing in your bag?" Without waiting for his answer, she dove into his pack and started yanking out random clothes. "Is there anything clean in here?"

"No," he said coolly, yanking the bag out of her grasp. "My clothes need washed, so they're just as bad as yours."

Anna stared at him for a few seconds. Finally, she said, "What you're wearing right now is clean, isn't it?"

"Anna, I am not giving you the shirt off my back."

"Come on, it's not like I'm asking for your kidney. You're wearing another shirt under it, right?"

"Yes, but that's not the point," Kratos muttered. "You have to learn to fend for yourself. Go find your own clothes."

"So," Anna said slowly, "I don't really have much of a choice here, do I? I mean, I can either go to bed in my dress or nothing, since you're being a total jerk and would rather keep an extra, unnecassary shirt on than see me go to bed in clean clothes."

"That's correct."

After a few minutes of silence, Anna shrugged and stood up, stretching. "Okay, then. I'm going to get some shut eye."

Kratos sighed. Finally, she was going to sleep. He was beginning to rethink travelling with her.

He continued trying unsuccessfully to start a fire. It had rained last night, so the only wood he could find was still damp. Perhaps if he had something else to light…

Kratos was so wrapped up in his musings that he didn't notice Anna walking past him. He heard her, knew she was there, but ignored her.

"Goodnight, Kratos," she said cheerfully.

"Goodnight, Anna," he said, looking up.

His eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped slightly. "Anna…why are you…?"

"Naked?" she asked politely. "You gave me two options, and I chose this one. I'm going to bed without my clothes on."

Kratos' face turned slightly pink as he covered his eyes with his hand. "Please, I was not serious."

"But I like this," Anna said, throwing her arms out wide and spinning. "It's not cold outside, kind of breezy, and it's nice for my skin to get fresh air. Is my being naked making you uncomfortable?" She sank down beside him, forcing him to turn his head the opposite direction. "Seriously, is it bothering you? Because you know what you could do? Give me your shirt."

"For the love of…" Kratos muttered. "Fine." He stood, trying to avoid looking at her. She, however, stood with him, directly in front of him, so he had no choice but to look at her as she grinned smugly. He pulled off his outer layer and tossed it to her.

"Thank you so much, Kratos," she said, tugging it on. It hung down to her middle thigh, covering her enough so that Kratos could stand to look at her without feeling awkward.

"And don't pretend you didn't enjoy that. It's the one and only time you'll see me without clothes on."

Kratos rolled his eyes. "You have my shirt, now get to sleep."

"Will do." She settled down, yawning, leaving Kratos to come to the realization that his newfound comrade would always manage to get her way.


	2. A State Of Inebriation

**Muse: Has anyone else been having trouble uploading new documents? We had to write this in an older one.**

**Siren: Yay for more drunken stories!**

**Muse: Disclaimer! **

**(poof) Mokuba Kiaba: Sirens & Muses don't own ToS! Can I be in the story?**

**Muse/Siren: Shut up, Mokuba.**

**Mokuba: Aw. (poof)**

**Siren: Review, please!  
**

* * *

Kratos had been all around the world. He'd gone places many people fear to tread, and yes, he'd spent his fair share of time in bars. But nothing prepared him for this one.

He and Anna were staying in Palmacosta for a few days. While Kratos attempted to barter passage across the ocean, Anna took it upon herself to explore the largest city she'd ever been to. She went shopping in the market place, visited the lighthouse and ships, and finally, discovered the bar.

Anna had never been to bar before. She'd grown up in Luin, then in the Asgard Ranch. She was fascinated with the atmosphere and the people who were inside it. She was fond of the liquor, too.

When Kratos got into the hotel room and saw Anna's note saying that she had gone for a drink, he knew he'd have to go collect her. And so he did.

The bar stunk of smoke and stale alcohol. There was loud music booming, giving him a headache. A few drunk couples were swaying out of time to the music, but the majority of bar patrons were sitting on stools, quietly sipping their drinks. Anna wasn't one of them.

"Heeey, Kratty!" She rushed up and threw her arms around him before he could stop her. "Why are you here? You look really…upto-uptin-uptit…You look like you've got a stick up your ass!" She snorted and giggled before retreating back to the crowd of drunken men who were calling her name.

"Anna, come back here," he grumbled, reaching for her sleeve. "You've had too much to drink."

"I have not!" she said indignantly, slapping his hand away. "I'm perfectly-well, maybe a little buzzed, but not drunk-ed."

"Annnna!" one of the men called out. "Come over here, babe." The man stumbled over and gripped her leg tightly. Then he saw Kratos. "Who the hell are you?"

"He's nobody," Anna slurred. "Com'n, Leo, let's dance."

She disappeared, leaving Kratos standing there, annoyed. With a grimace, he turned and left.

What did he care if she went off to become a drunken bar floozy for some guy named Leo? She was on her own; he wasn't her babysitter.

But, if that guy _did_ try something with her, she was in no condition to fend him off. As angry as she made him, Kratos couldn't condone taking advantage of a woman, or allowing it to happen. Halfway to the inn, he turned back for the bar.

Inside, he didn't see Anna anywhere. He started questioning people about Anna's wherebouts: most people recalled seeing her, but lost track of her. One person said she had gone out the back door with Leroy. Kratos assumed his name was lost in translation.

He debated going out after them. On one hand, Anna might be angry. And, really, it was no business what she did or who she did it with. But on the other, if she was in trouble, Leroy or Leo or whatever he was called certainly wasn't going to stop what he was doing.

He attempted to listen for her, but with no avail; the bar was simply too loud. He finally decided to find her. When Kratos stepped out the back door, he heard them both right away. He shut the door behind him and listened closer.

"Shh. Don't talk," Leo/Leroy whispered.

"St-stop it," Anna mumbled. "I chan-changed my mind."

"No, you didn't, honey. Just be quiet, it'll be okay," he answered.

"Don't," she shuddered. Kratos slid along the wall, towards them. He was frozen in anxiety; he could only watch as two sillhouettes shifted about one hundred feet away from him. She was pushed up against the wall, while he leaned against her. He couldn't stop touching her: stroking her face, running his fingers through her hair, sliding his hands up her back...

"Get-get off of me!" Anna shoved Leo/Leroy away, but he lashed back and hit her. With a grunt of pain, she slid down the wall. "Oww!"

Kratos jolted awake. "Anna!"

They both turned to look at him as he ran to her. Leo/Leroy attempted a drunken punch at Kratos, but he dodged it and hit back, sending the man spiraling down to the ground. Anna crawled over as Kratos leaned down. She was bleeding from a cut on her forehead where he'd stuck her, and the alcohol seemed to have come back to bite her. Kratos picked her up and carried her to the door while Leo/Leroy tried to stand up.

"Kratos..." Anna clutched at him, burying her head in his chest as her eyes closed. "Th-thank you."

He carried her to the inn and tucked her into bed with care before collapsing into his own across the room. It had been a long day.

Kratos opened his eyes the next morning when he heard Anna walking over to his bed. The first thing he saw was her face break into a wide grin.

"You're awake!" She reached down and gave him a hug. "I want to thank you, Kratos, so much. Really, you saved me. You're, well, my hero." She blushed. "I owe you. Anything. Really. I'll even make you breakfast."

She stood up and walked to the kitchen without waiting for an answer. Kratos stood up and followed her.

"There's just one thing I've been wondering, though," she said, cracking eggs into a bowl.

"What?" Kratos asked wearily.

"Why'd you do it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," she said, pouring the eggs into a pan, "That all you do is complain about me and what a hassle I am to travel with, how you always have to protect me. So, why'd you do it?"

Kratos turned away slightly, but she still saw him get a tiny smile on his face. "You're not as bad as I thought, Anna. I'm starting to warm up to you."


	3. A Cliche In A Church

**Muse: I never want to hear Bryan Adams again. Ever.**

**Siren: Hey, I like Bryan Adams.**

**Muse: I could tell. Being as you put the song 'Everything I Do' on repeat for FOUR DAMNED HOURS!**

**Siren: I did change it after a while.**

**Muse: Yeah...to the String Quartet version of 'Everything I Do' by Bryan Adams.**

**Siren: Whatever. You just don't appreciate the sappiness of Valentine's Day.**

**Muse: God! Disclaimer!**

**(poof) Red XIII: Evening. Sirens & Muses don't own ToS or FFVII.**

**Muse: And I never, ever, want to have to describe dresses in such detail again.**

**Siren: You had my help. We even used my closet for visual aides.**

**Muse: Which reminds me, what was up with that green dress? Looked like some weird mold-plant was growing in your closet.**

**Siren: Hey, my grandma bought me that dress! (whistles) Get him, Red.**

**Red XIII: Do I look like an attack dog? (poof)**

**Siren: Lousy flaming Indian dog. Review, please!  
**

* * *

"A what?"

"A Valentine's Day dance," she repeated.

"I don't dance," Kratos said flatly.

"Tough crap," Anna said. "One of the women in the store today said it's a huge event in Palmacosta. I'm so excited." Anna came out from the dressing room. "How does this look?"

She was wearing a tight, strapless red dress that didn't quite fit her…chest right.

"It's, ah…" was all Kratos managed before a group of teenage boys nearby said the rest for him.

"Oh, baby, baby," a boy called, while one of his friends wolf-whistled. "Jiggle a little bit for me, will you? I wanna see 'em pop out!"

Anna blushed a deep red as the group of teens laughed uproariously. "Answers that question," she mumbled, stepping back into the dressing room.

After a few minutes of silence, during which Kratos gave the boys a venomous glare until they left, Anna revealed herself again, this time wearing an extremely short sky blue dress embroidered with silver stars.

"Be brutally honest," she said. "There's no mirror in there, so I don't know how I look."

"Honestly?" Kratos said. "Not only is it not your color, but I could wear it as a belly shirt."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"Anna, it doesn't leave much to the imagination. In fact, from this vantage point, I think I can see your underwear."

"Hey!" She tugged the bottom hem of the dress down, blushing some more. "I'm glad those guys aren't around to see this." She slunk back into the dressing room.

"Anna," Kratos said. "You've looked through everything in this store. I doubt you'll find a dress that you like and fits you right."

"Just a few more," she said, coming out once again. "How about this one?"

This one was a lime green, calf length, frilly dress.

"Um," Kratos began. Anna held up her hand.

"Never mind," she said. "Your face says it all." She did an about face into the dressing room again. "Just let me try on one more and we'll go."

Kratos sighed irritably. Now, not only was he being dragged through dress-shopping with her, but she was making him go to a Valentine's Day dance. No doubt it would be in a dress that made her look like a prostitute or a clown. Martel only knows what she would make _him_ wear.

"Anna," he began. "I don't really want to go to this dance. You're welcome to go alone, if you'd like."

"Please?" she begged as she opened the door again. "I really don't want to go alone."

Kratos stared at the dress she wore now. It was mostly black, with skinny spaghetti straps. It came down almost to her knees, with a mesh skirt sticking out from underneath it. Tied around her stomach was a giant hot pink ribbon tied in a bow on the side. It fit her perfectly, clinging to her curves and not too revealing.

"I just think that it would be fun if both of us went," she continued, not catching his look. "I mean, I don't know anyone in town, really, so I just wanted company. What do you think of this one?"

"Fine," he said. "I'll go with you."

* * *

The debate over what Kratos would wear only ended when he brought up that if they didn't bother to spend money on his outfit, she could buy more jewelry and accessories to go with hers. After he made that point, she allowed him to wear his white judgment suit.

"It's ridiculous," she said grumpily, trying on a pair of hot pink earrings. "So many belts. It looks like your clothes are going to be ripped off any minute. Although," she added, tugging them off and trying another pair, "I've seen the way some women swoon over you, so it might have some merit. I'm going to do the limbo naked on the roof. Are you even listening to me?"

"Of course I am," Kratos said. Truth be told, he wasn't. He was imagining her in that dress again, wondering if she would want him to dance with her. Trying to decide whether or not he would do it.

"Yeah, right," she said, examining a silver chain necklace. "Then what did I just say?"

"You said that women swoon over me," he said.

"Yeah, well, they do. Will this go with the dress? Nah." She didn't wait for his input. "Alright, let's go. I've got shoes, a dress, a pair of earrings, and a hair pin. I think I'm good."

After rushing to get home and ready for the dance, which involved several dress-themed crises ("I need pantyhose," Anna yelled. "Go to the store and grab me some real fast!"), the duo made their way over to the church.

"That's it," Anna growled, pausing to rearrange her heeled shoes. "The second we get inside, these things are coming off."

Kratos rolled his eyes. "I told you to get flats."

"Yeah, well, flats don't help my ass and legs look nicer, do they?"

"They look fine in flats."

"Why are you looking at my ass and legs?"

Kratos sighed. "I'm starting to rethink this."

"Okay, okay," Anna said, as they stepped in. Suddenly, she half-gasped, half-laughed. "Oh, my god."

Inside, the pews had been moved out so that there was room for dancing. Music was coming from somewhere. Red and pink streamers and balloons hung from the ceiling, matching lacy paper hearts fastened to the walls. All Kratos was thinking was that Martel would probably not have allowed such tacky decorating done in a house with her name connected to it.

People were starting to file in. Anna went over to the table with food and drinks and picked up a cookie and glass of champagne.

"Oh, look," she said, holding up the red-icing'd, heart-shaped sugar cookie. "It's so…sappy and cliché."

Kratos took a glass of champagne for himself, but doubted he would finish it. His drinking days had ended when he was in his twenties. Anna gently sipped hers and sighed.

"See? Not so bad."

"That's because the dancing hasn't started yet," Kratos replied. "Any minute now, a slow song is going to come on and people are going to pair up so that they can rock back and forth."

"Guess I know that you're not dancing with me," she grumbled.

As it turned out, he didn't get a chance. The second the music slowed, a skinny, acne-ridden young man in a tux asked Anna to dance. With a smile to Kratos, she went into the middle of the dance floor with the stranger. Kratos watched as they shifted awkwardly together to the soft waltz-y music. He sighed and sipped his drink. Suddenly, two giggling girls came up to him.

"Hi," a chubby blonde one said, waving. He nodded. The other girl, a freckled redhead, pointed towards Anna.

"Are you two together?" she blurted out.

"Um, no," Kratos said. The redhead smiled.

"Do you wanna dance then?"

Kratos cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, but I'm already taken. Just not by her."

"Oh." The two girls walked away, clearly disappointed. He turned back to the dance floor, only to find that Anna was standing not ten feet away from him.

"My, Kratos," she said, smirking. "I believe your pants are on fire."

"What happened to your dance partner?" Kratos asked, ignoring her taunt.

"He got a little too comfortable and thought it was okay to play grab-ass." She leaned against the wall next to him. "So, why didn't you dance with Chubs or Freckles over there?"

"I told you, I don't dance."

She grinned. "I told you women swoon over you. That redhead was about thirty seconds from pinning you down and stripping you naked."

"I could say the same thing about you," Kratos said. "I don't believe that man is coming over here to ask me to dance."

Anna shook her head as another man, this one older and marginally more attractive, smiled and asked her to dance.

The night wore down. Anna spent the majority of her time on the dance floor, trying to keep distance between her and the goons who danced with her. Kratos spent, well, all of his time leaning against the wall, sipping his drink and rejecting women. Some were persistent; they kept asking him over and over until Anna would come back from another dance to chat and refill her glass. Finally, it seemed like the only people who hadn't left yet were couples who hadn't let go of each other since they came in.

"So, did you enjoy your night?" Kratos asked Anna. She sighed.

"Bust. Not worth buying a dress and coming here."

"Last song of the night!" a man in the front of the church called. Kratos turned towards Anna.

He'd been rejecting women all night. He'd tried to work up the nerve to ask her, but she beat him to it.

"You haven't had a dance all night," she said, grabbing his hand. "Come on." He let her lead him into the middle of the floor.

The last song was a soft, melodic song with lyrics about a man willing to do anything for a woman. Kratos rolled his eyes at the cliché. Anna laughed and leaned into him.

"You look nice, by the way," he told her. "I didn't get a chance to tell you before."

They rocked back and forth, arms around each other. Anna smiled. "Thanks. And I guess you look okay, even wearing all those ugly belts."

Kratos started to feel slightly uncomfortable. "This song," he said.

"What about it?"

"It's so…silly," he said. "Very overdone. Many men have said that they'll do anything for the woman they love."

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean," he said nervously, "This entire holiday is a bit ridiculous."

"Kratos…"

"Heart shaped cookies? Red streamers? And what about the poor souls who don't have a lover? They-"

"Hey, Kratos?" she said, leaning back to look him in the eyes.

"Yes?"

"Why don't you shut up now?"

He didn't say anything. She raised an eyebrow.

"Wow, you actually listened."

They kept dancing in silence, Anna laying her head on his chest. Kratos was tempted to put his chin on the top of her head.

"You know what? I can hear your heartbeat," she muttered.

"Really?" He hoped his heart could keep a steady beat. "You know, that's another thing. Why are the hearts for this holiday not anatomically cor-"

"Kratos, shut up and kiss me."

"What did you say?"

"Shut up."

For the fiftieth time that night, he rolled his eyes. "After that."

"Oh, you mean kiss me? Yeah, do that, too."

"…"

Anna sighed. "Fine. I'll do it. Geez." She stretched up and managed to press her lips against his. Her hands wrapped around his neck and pulled him down closer to her. He closed his eyes, savoring the feel of her lips on his…

"Hey, lovebirds? Hate to break up this union, but the dance has been over for a few minutes now." A man waved at them to leave. "We have to start cleaning up. Out."

Kratos looked around. They were in fact, the only ones left in the church from the dance.

"Sorry!" Anna grabbed his hand and led him out.

"Why did you kiss me?" Kratos asked her quietly, once they were in the quiet streets of Palmacosta.

She grinned at him. "Well, genius, I guess it's because I love you. I don't know why, you're not very lovable."

He smiled down at her and kiss her cheek. "I love you, too, Anna. Happy Valentine's Day."


	4. A Library

**Siren: Good morning, sunshine!**

**Muse: Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeep...**

**Siren: There's no time for sleep! WE HAVE CRAP TO UPDATE!**

**Muse: (snore) Disclaimer...**

**(poof) Ziggy The Pet Kitty: Meow??**

**Siren: ZIGGY! My wittle kitty, you're so fuzzy.**

**Ziggy The Pet Kitty: Meeeooow! Meow!**

**Siren: Review, please! Or you will upset Ziggy! How can you upset that adorable wittle face?**

**Ziggy: Purrrrrrrr.**

**Muse: (drool)**

**Siren: Gross.**

* * *

"You should try this!" Anna yelled, her brown hair whipping around her face. "Really, it's so cool!"

"Anna," Kratos began, "I don't think you should do that."

"Why not? It's a ton of fun! It's-Ack!" Her foot slid off the bed, making her collapse on the floor in a disgruntled heap.

"Dangerous," Kratos finished. "You could've seriously hurt yourself with that fall. As a matter of fact, you have a nasty bruise on your forehead." He kissed the soft spot gently and helped her up.

"You could be a little less smug, you know," she mumbled. "Besides, I'm sure you have your little quirks like this."

He shrugged. "You mean like jumping on the bed? No, not particularly."

Anna snorted. "You mean to tell me you've never had something that gets your adrenaline pumping? Something ridiculous or dangerous?"

"Nope."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Interesting." She examined him thoughtfully. "We're just going to have to fix that, aren't we?"

"What?" He stared at her. "No. We have things to do today, Anna. I don't have time to take part in your inane games."

"You're just scared," she taunted.

"Look," he reasoned. "We're going to the Sybak Library today. I'll help you find some books to occupy your time."

"Sybak is filled with people whose IQs I can't even count to. I don't really think there'll be anything in there I'll like."

"What do you like?" he asked.

"Romance novels," she said. "Goopy, love-filled slush. Books with sappy, happy endings and the perfect resolution to a conflict."

Kratos raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, so maybe action and adventure aren't so bad, either," she snapped. "Geez, is it really that hard to believe that I read girly things?"

Kratos sighed. "Let's be on our way."

The Sybak Library was almost completely empty. In fact, the only two people inside besides Kratos and Anna were the librarian and a little girl looking for information on puppies.

"Alright," Anna said, inspecting the shelves. "What are we looking for again?"

"I'm looking for anything on the Eternal Sword and humans. You're welcome to join me in my research." Kratos pulled a thick volume on the shelf titled _'Mana Signatures: How the Races Differ'_. Anna made a face.

"No, thanks. I'm going to look for something interesting."

Unfortunately for her, there was a shortage of interesting books. She found one titled _'Pirates', _but it turned out to be an entire 400 pages on the statistics and probabilities of being attacked by pirates at any given time. Another was about every kind of fish, with pictures and explanations.

After an hour of browsing through books, she gave up. With a soft thump, she shut the book she'd been looking at: _'The Ground Beneath Our Feet'_, which was about just that. Rocks. And stones. And more rocks.

"How goes the research?" Anna asked, crashing down into the seat next to Kratos. The librarian gave them a dirty look.

"Shh," he muttered, still taking notes from the book he was looking at. "It's going very well. I've compiled a few that talk about Origin, and some that are about the flow of mana through a human body as compared to a half-elf. How about you? Did you find any torrid romance novels?"

"Bust. Although, I do know now that I am most likely to be attack by a pirate ship on the sea."

"I didn't know Tethe'alla still had pirates," Kratos answered.

"I don't think they do." She leaned back on two legs of her chair. "So, are you done yet?"

He frowned. "Another half-hour, maybe. I still haven't found any information on the Eternal Sword yet. We may end up having to go to Heimdall for the information."

"Great," she replied sarcastically. "Now how am I supposed to entertain myself for the next thirty minutes?"

She tried to help him research, but ended up almost falling asleep on the book. She glanced up at the desk and found out that the two of them were alone. The little girl had left, apparently not finding anything on puppies, and the librarian was outside on the bench, eating her lunch quietly. Anna sighed as her stomach growled.

"Can I go get something to eat?" she asked Kratos.

"Wait," he told her, not looking up from his book. "I don't want you wondering around Sybak alone. You could get lost."

Anna groaned and rubbed her rumbling belly. "Man, I'm hungry. Do you think they have any food in here?" She looked around hopefully, as if expecting to see a sandwich just lying there. No such luck.

"Anna, they have strict no-food policy," he muttered. "You can wait a little while longer, right?"

"If I starve to death, I'm coming back to haunt you." She sighed and started to browse the shelves again, with the same outcome as before. She sighed in frustration and shoved a book about all the ways to fold paper back onto the shelf. She did it so hard, in fact, that it knocked a few others loose from the top.

"Ow!" She rubbed the spot where one had hit her head. "Geez."

"There's a ladder over there," Kratos said, pointing. "Make sure to put them back neatly. And don't fall."

"Oh, I'm so glad you're here, Kratos. Just what would I do without you?" She groaned as she pulled the ladder over. It was on wheels, connected by cables to the shelves. As Anna set the books back in their rightful place, she accidently jilted it.

"Whoa!" Kratos looked up, alarmed. She shrugged. "It moved. Startled me, that's all."

"Anna," he said, irritated. "Stop playing around on that thing. It's not a toy."

"I'm not playing around," she said. She eyed the wall. "_This_ would be playing around." She placed her hands firmly on the ladder and kicked off the wall with her foot. The ladder went streaking across the room, with a blurry brunette laughing all the way.

With an angry growl, Kratos ran over and grabbed the bottom of the ladder. "Anna, get off. You shouldn't be goofing around on that, you could get hurt."

"Lighten up!" she yelled down to him. "Come on, get on the bottom."

"I will come up there after you," he threatened.

She laughed. "Go ahead!"

He started to climb. Once he was securely on, Anna kicked off the wall again, sendin them both careening towards the other side. Once they stopped, Kratos reached out to grab Anna's pant leg.

"Get back down here!" he yelled. She laughed and simply shoved off the wall one more time. A few feet later, the ladder came to a sudden, jarring halt. Anna didn't.

Kratos had managed to cling to it, but Anna went tumbling four feet through the air, landing on her stomach. Kratos hopped off to help her up.

"Do you see what I mean?" he reprimanded. "You could've been hurt, Anna. Now, go sit down. I'll just gather up my stuff and we can get lunch."

Anna reluctantly sat down. Kratos started gathering up books and putting them away. She sighed and stared at the ceiling.

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. The tables here were high enough for an adult to crawl under, but low enough that it was hard to see them. They were the perfect hiding spots for hide-n-seek. She checked over at Kratos, who was still putting books away, before sliding down as discreetly as possible. He didn't seem to notice anything.

Kratos turned around. "Anna?" he called. "Anna, where are you? Don't tell me you left…" He started walking towards the table.

"Surprise!" Anna shouted, popping out from under the table. Kratos barely flinched, but Anna could tell she'd startled him. "Ha, got you!"

Before Kratos could say anything else, someone cleared their throat. The pair turned to see the librarian, who had apparently witnessed Anna's childish games.

"I'm very sorry," Kratos began, but she cut him off.

"Get out!" she screeched. "Don't come back here! Out! Now!"

Kratos barely managed to grab his notebook as they were shooed out by the angry bookkeeper. He glared at Anna, who was stifling a laugh. "Really, Anna, that was immature."

She burst into full-on giggles. "You should've seen your face when you saw that lady! Priceless!"

Kratos couldn't help it; the sillyness was contagious. It was part of her spark, part of what made him love her so much. He found himself holding back laughter as they headed for the cafeteria.


	5. A Shower

**Siren: This is nowhere near as perverted as it sounds.**

**Muse: (shoos away perverts) Out! Nothing to see here!**

**Zelos: Aww! (puts video camera away)**

**Siren: Why were you going to video tape Kratos in the shower anyway?**

**Zelos: Actually, I was hoping to get his wife.**

**Kratos: Excuse me?**

**Muse: I would run now, Zelos.**

**Siren: Can I borrow that camera? Thanks.**

**Zelos: (flees)**

**Kratos: (chases)**

**Muse: Um, yeah. So, disclaimer.**

**Zelos: Sirens & Muses don't own ToS or anything else mentioned in this story! (is stabbed)**

**Siren: (taping) I am so putting this on Youtube. Review, please!**

* * *

Kratos had a routine. A routine that had worked for over a millennia, one that he had no intention of changing.

Until Anna came along, that is.

He always took a shower in the morning. It felt right to start out a new day completely clean. As it turned out, Anna agreed with this. It also turned out that she didn't like starting her day alone.

They were in Triet, where water was scarce. Kratos had gotten up to take his shower while Anna was still asleep beside him. He got in the shower, turned the water on, and was just starting to wash his hair when he heard footsteps outside.

"Anna," he called out. "I'm in here."

"No kidding?" she yelled, pushing the curtain aside and stepping in. "Here I thought the showerheads were crying. Make room and hand me the shampoo."

"Why are you in here?" Kratos asked, shaking his head. "Get out."

"We have to conserve water," she argued. "And besides, I feel gross. My hair's all…ick."

Kratos sighed. "Anna, I don't care what your hair is. Taking a shower with you is a bit…embarrassing."

"Yes, because I, your girlfriend, have never seen you naked before." Anna tried to reach around him to get the shampoo, but he blocked her.

"It's too small in here for two people to get clean," he retorted.

"Oh, shut up and turn around. I need to wash your hair. It's been bugging me."

"What do you mean by that?" he demanded. "I can wash my own hair-"

"If that's true, why is the back always knotted?" she asked, finally grabbing the shampoo and scrubbing it through her own hair.

Kratos blinked. "It is not."

"Yeah, it is. It's not that bad, just worse than the front. You always miss the back. Now let me do it." She reached up, rubbing her hands through the back of his hair. He grunted when her fingers snagged on a tangle.

"Watch it," he muttered.

"See, this is what I meant." She turned him back around. "Rinse."

She started applying conditioner-which he had never used-into their hair and told him to let it sit in for a few minutes. It was then that Kratos found out that what she did to pass those few minutes.

"Am I loud and clear, or am I breaking up?" she began quietly.

"…What are you doing?"

"Am I still your charm, or am I just bad luck?" Her voice started to rise.

"You're singing, aren't you?"

"Are you we getting closer, or are we just getting more lost?" She was now going at full volume, making Kratos wince.

"No offense, Anna," he started, but she cut him off.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours first," she continued, ignoring him. "Let's compare scars and I'll tell you whose is worse."

"But you're not the best singer," he finished. "In fact, you're awful."

"Let's unwrite these pages and replace them with our own words." She glared at Kratos. "Did you just say I was a bad singer? I'd like to hear you sing better."

"I never said I was good, just that you're terrible."

Anna put on a look of outrage. "I'm terrible? That's harsh."

Kratos shrugged. "It's true."

"I want to hear you sing. Right now, in this shower." Anna snapped her fingers. "Let's go!"

"Humph. Very well. If you insist." He took a deep breath. "Hush, hush, somebody's calling my name."

Anna contemplated, motioning for him to continue. He sighed and did so.

"Hush, oh, hush, somebody's calling my name, oh my Lord, oh my Lord, what shall I do?" He stood silent after he was finished.

Anna stood there, thinking. Finally, she said, "And what was your inspiration for that song?"

"That was an old Kharlan-era gospel song," Kratos explained.

"Really? Because it sounded like someone dragged a cat across a cheese grater."

Kratos rolled his eyes. "I wasn't that bad."

"You are definitely no better than me," Anna insisted.

Kratos shook his head and started to rinse out the conditioner from his hair. "Whatever."

Anna stood in shock for a few seconds before she finally said, "Oh my gosh, I'm starting to have an effect on you!"

"What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously.

"You just said 'whatever!' You picked that up from me!" She kissed his cheek. "Yes! I'm thawing the icy heart of a creepy old man!"

"…Creepy?"

"I can't believe it!" she said, ignoring him. "Because of my influence, you actually acted your age for once! I'm so proud of you! Now, say 'piss off.' Please?"

"Anna…" Kratos gave an exasperated sigh and walked out of the shower, apparently deciding he was clean enough.

She shook her head. "Fine. I'll get you to speak like normal person yet. Just give it time." She then restarted her singing.

Kratos, of course, heard her tone-deaf song from outside the shower. He smiled slightly as he toweled off. And he couldn't help, as he was getting dressed, forming a duet.

"If love is a labor, I'll slave to the end," he sang with her. "I won't cross this street until you hold my hand."


	6. The Middle of A Lesson on Humility

**Siren: Remember us?**

**Muse: Probably not. Between work, school, and computer crashes, we haven't been on here in a while.**

**Siren: Moving on. Disclaimer!**

**(poof) Jack Sparrow: Sirens & Muses don't own ToS. And it's Captain Jack Sparrow.**

**Muse: I don't like you.**

**Siren: (drools) Johnny Depp...**

**Muse: I'm sorry, how is he even remotely attractive?**

**Captain Jack Sparrow: I just am. (poof)**

**Siren: Review, please! And forgive our bad updating! We still love you!  
**

* * *

"Punching isn't about physical strength," Kratos explained. "To hit hard, you have to learn the correct technique. Show me how you punch."

"Okay, but be warned, I won't go easy on you." Anna balled her fist and made to swing, but he caught her wrist.

"That," he said flatly, "is a good way to break your knuckles. Your thumb goes outside your fist. Try again."

She followed his instructions and gave an awkward, pathetic punch at his shoulder. He stifled a chuckle and held up his own fist. "Don't just toss your hand around. Go into a fighting stance." He demonstrated it for her, bending his knees slightly. "Every muscle in your body has to be ready to react to a threat."

Kratos threw his punch, stopping directly in front of her face. "Whoa," she said. "Good control."

"You try. Put your entire body into it, not just your hand. Focus all your energy into one punch."

Anna mimicked him and threw another punch, this one marginally more successful. He grunted, but it didn't do much damage.

"Not as bad. But still, you'll never defend yourself fighting like that." He showed her again. "Your body has to be fluid, able to adapt to your surroundings. You move very…disjointed."

Anna tried again, still doing no more damage than a bruise. "Damn," she muttered.

Kratos sighed. "Let's try blocking. Hold up your arm like this." He showed her how to stop a blow with her forearm. "I won't hit you hard. Come on."

He jabbed at her as she lifted her arm to block. Unfortunately, she was slow, so his fist smacked her jaw.

"Ow!" Anna rubbed her jaw. "Not hard, huh? Geez."

Kratos groaned. "Listen, we'll work on training some more tomorrow. We have to hurry up and get to town before nightfall."

"Man, we don't get anymore time to rest?" she complained. "I only got to eat lunch and do a few minutes of training."

"I'm sorry you don't get naptime, Anna, but I don't want to have to take on an army of angels and monsters. Do you?"

"Truth," she admitted, grabbing her bag. "Let's go."

* * *

Men. They were so damn cocky, Kratos even more than others. So sure that only he could protect her, take care of her, and keep the angels away from her. So damn sure of himself that he made the mistake of glancing back at her during battle…

…And was completely blindsided by the last angel bringing its sword across his back.

"Ugh!" Kratos whipped around, killing the angel with a single blow, before he fell forward, brought to his knees by the gash that ripped across his back.

"Stupid man!" Anna ran to him, yanking a gel out of her pack as she kneeled down. "What were you thinking?"

Kratos groaned in response. "Are you all right?"

"No, I died on the side of the battlefield. Come on, we need to get you to a town to rest." She slung one of his arms over her shoulder, attempting to support his weight. She almost collapsed under him, grunting as he chuckled.

"Having problems? Really, Anna, I'm fine." Kratos removed his arm from around her shoulder and immediately fell, gripping her shoulder to stay upright. She laughed, while he glared angrily at her.

"Noishe!" she called, motioning for their pet to come over. "All right, Kratos, get on."

"Anna," he said irritatedly. "The wound is not that bad, hardly a setback. Once I rest and restore some mana, I'll heal myself. Until then, I'll just have to walk slowly and carefully."

She shrugged. "Suit yourself." She began walking away, Noishe following her. Kratos growled as he tried to follow her, but found himself unable to get more than a few steps without stumbling in pain. Finally, he swallowed his pride and yelled, "Fine! I'll ride Noishe."

Pleased that she'd gotten her way, Anna turned back and said, "Good boy. Now, I'll have to help you up onto Noishe, so put your arm around me, like this."

After a few minutes of Anna trying in vain to support 170 pounds of weight, Kratos muttering under his breath, and a lot of whines from Noishe, Kratos was on the protozoan. Anna gently brushed her hand over his back, making him wince. "What are you doing?"

"This gash is deep," she said, worriedly. "You said it wasn't that bad."

"I've had worse," he said. "I'll heal myself once I regain my strength."

"Oh, no," Anna corrected. "I'm disinfecting it first. If you heal it now, any infection that got in the wound will stay there. Wait until we get to town." She glanced around. "By the way, where is town?"

"East," Kratos said, pointing. "We aren't far from Ozette."

"All I see is forest," Anna mused.

"That's all Ozette is."

After a few minutes of walking-or, in Kratos' case, riding-he heard a noise. "Shh," he whispered. "I think it's an enemy." He made to grab his sword and get off Noishe, but Anna grabbed his wrist.

"I don't think so," she said. "You can hardly stand right now, let alone battle monsters. Let me handle it."

"You can't even throw a punch, Anna," Kratos said. "I can fight."

She rolled her eyes. Suddenly, a growl ripped through the forest as a bear charged at her.

"Anna, don't!" Kratos slid off Noishe and stumbled, unable to stand on his own. Anna laughed and ran towards the monster. "Stop!"

He felt dizzy, his vision going fuzzy. She was going to get hurt, sliced, bruised, and broken. The thought made him sick. "Damn it!"

He couldn't fight. He couldn't protect her. He staggered forward, trying to unsheathe his sword. He fell flat on his face. The last sound he heard before he passed out was the bear howling.

* * *

"I told you not to try and fight," was the first thing Kratos heard when he opened his eyes.

"How did you…?" He looked around and saw that they were in Ozette's inn. He sat up, then groaned as pain shot down his back. "What happened?"

"I killed the bear and got you here," Anna said, pushing him back into bed. "I cleaned your wound, bandaged it, and waited for you to wake up. You lost a lot of blood."

"How did you kill that bear?" he asked, his eyes wondering to her hands. They were scraped and slightly swollen, but she herself didn't look beaten up. "You can't fight."

She looked down at her hands. "I kind of…lied to you. I know how to fight."

"Why did you pretend you couldn't?"

"You were so excited to be teaching me, I just…couldn't." She blushed a little bit. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not angry, Anna," he said quietly. "I just can't believe that you beat that monster."

She snickered. "Tell me, does your ego hurt?"

"Just out of curiosity," he asked, glancing sideways, "Where'd you learn to fight?"

Anna smiled broadly. "I'm Luin's boxing champion, three years in a row."


	7. The Rain

**Siren: Remember us?**

**Muse: We're baaaack.**

**Siren: Yerp, we finally decided to update something. And, you know, catch up on reviewing fics.**

**Muse: In our defense, we had schoolwork to do. A lot of it.**

**Siren: ...aaaand we may have gone to the movies to see Thor. Not a big deal.  
**

**Muse: Disclaimer!**

**(poof) Thor: Sirens & Muses own nothing! Least of all I, Thor, God of Thunder and Ruler of Asgard!**

**Siren: You can probably guess that we were the losers in the theater laughing and making ToS references. I mean, come on.**

**Muse: True. Let's see, in Thor: the great tree Yggdrasill, which links the realms to Asgard, the guard of the bridge is named Heimdall...**

**Thor: Plus, Anthony Hopkins is Odin. Yeah. That's pretty cool.**

**Siren: That has nothing to do with ToS.**

**Thor: ...Oh. Okay. (poof)**

**Muse: Review or else Anthony Hopkins will beat you with his...beating stick.  
**

* * *

He hated the rain. It was cold, wet, miserable. It did weird things to his hair. All it did, really, was make mud. It, using Anna's words, 'sucked'.

Unfortunately, Anna disagreed.

"Haha! I love the rain!" She jumped directly into a puddle.

"Anna, get back in here!" Kratos tried to reach out from under the tree he stood by and grab her arm, but she eluded him. "You're going to get sick."

"I'll be fine," she said dismissively. "I've always done this." She threw her arms up and spun.

"This is ridiculously childish," he muttered.

"If you want me to come inside," she called, "you have to catch me!"

"I am not going out there to chase you in the wet, cold, rain!"

"Okay, then, I guess I'll just stay out here," she taunted. She plopped down on the ground, in the mud, laughing.

"…" Kratos simply glared at her.

In response, Anna fell back into the mud and started moving her arms and legs. Kratos made a face.

"Anna! That's disgusting. Get out of there. I'm not letting you back in the tent covered in mud."

"Hmm…" Anna sat back up, grinning. "I made a mud angel!"

"You're acting silly." Kratos pointed to the tent. "Normal people stay inside when it storms."

"…Loosen up." Anna suddenly grabbed a handful of mud and flung it at him. It landed with a wet splat on his face.

"Anna!" he yelled. "Why wou-ugh! You're so…gah!" Disgusted, Kratos wiped his face off with the back of his hand and took a step away from the tree that was shielding him from the rain.

"Ha! I knew you'd break down. Catch me if you can!" She took off running through the forest, squishing with each step. Kratos unleashed his wings with a growl and flew off after her.

"Get back here!" The rain whipped across his face, soaking his hair and clothes. How on earth Anna could stand playing out here was beyond him.

"You can't catch me, na-na-na-na-naaa-na!" Anna stuck her tongue out.

"Oh, yeah?" Kratos sped up and was right behind her in seconds. He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her, screaming, into the sky.

"No fair! You can't fly! That's cheating!" Up and up they flew, higher and higher. Anna was laughing, arms out, in an expression of pure joy.

Kratos found a smile tugging at his lips. As much as he despised the rain, he found it hard to hate something that could put that expression on Anna's face. He turned his face upward and closed his eyes.

"Isn't it fun?" she asked softly. He looked back down and saw her watching him. "It's beautiful. I don't understand why people hate it."

"It's a nuisance. It floods rivers and lakes. It brings lightening and horrible winds. There are landslides and monsoons." He indicated the land below them. "Rain brings destruction."

"No," she said, shaking her head. "Rain is just temperamental, like all of nature. Without rain, nothing would grow. There would be no mud, no nutrients, nothing. And rain washes away the evil in the world. At least, that's what I like to think."

"…" Kratos hadn't even realized that they were no longer climbing into the sky, but hovering. It was dangerous in the middle of a storm, where lightening could strike them easily. He slowly began to descend.

Anna laid her head on his shoulder. "…I spent so much time inside a cage," she said finally. "I can't waste a day, even a rainy one."

They landed on the ground gently and Kratos released Anna. "I understand that," he told her.

They started walking back to the campsite in silence. Kratos was disappointed to see the joyous expression had left Anna's face.

"Yuan and I lived in Asgard," he said abruptly. "We'd play outside a lot when we were kids. Do you know what we used to do when it rained?" She shook her head. "Watch."

Kratos took a deep breath and a few steps back before taking off like a shot. After ten feet, he turned and collapsed, sliding through the mud. Anna let out a shriek of laughter.

"I have to try it!" She mimicked him and went sliding, colliding into Kratos and thrashing around in the mud, both of them laughing. "That was awesome!"

"It's much more fun doing it with you than Yuan," Kratos said. "He always made it a competition of who could slide the furthest."

There was a moment of silence before Anna said, "Bet I can beat you."

"Anna, you weigh about 100 pounds. I have more weight behind me. More force."

"Oh, really?" she said. "Because I always thought lighter people went further."

"Untrue," he insisted. "Smaller people go faster, not further."

"I guess there's only one way to settle this." She and Kratos both stood and prepared. "On the count of three."

"One…" Kratos said.

"Three!" Anna took off, sliding through the mud.

"You cheat," he called, laughing as he followed suit.

It wasn't really clear who went further, because the competition eventually reduced itself to a mud-throwing fight, followed by mud wrestling, followed by Anna stretching up on her tip-toes to kiss Kratos. In the end, they both fell, laughing, against the same tree Kratos had used as an umbrella earlier.

"Look!" Anna said suddenly. "It stopped raining."

"Good," Kratos said. She pushed his shoulder playfully.

"But look up there," she said, pointing to the sky. He glanced up and saw the bright streak of a rainbow above them. "That's the other reason I love the rain. We'd never have a rainbow without it."

They sat there for a while, sometimes talking, sometimes silently watching the time pass. Just as the sun started to set and the rainbow faded, Anna fell asleep against Kratos' shoulder, snoring gently and holding his hand, a smile on her face.

He could get used to the rain.


	8. A Scary Place

**Siren: You crazy readers and your sense of time. Time is an illusion.**

**Muse: That means we're late. Whoops.**

**Siren: Only by...(counts)...8 days.**

**Muse: Yeah...we fail.**

**(poof) Mr. Giblets: Gobble!**

**Siren: Oh my God, it's the turkey I named a couple Thanksgivings ago.**

**Mr. Giblets: Hey! You ate me!**

**Muse: It's a tough life, turkey.**

**Mr. Giblets: Sirens & Muses don't own ToS! (pecks Siren)**

**Siren: Ow! I'mma eat you again if you don't stop!**

**Muse: Finally, some Siren abuse! Review please!**

* * *

"That night, grave robbers dug up the casket, intending to steal the ring she'd been buried with. They tried to pull the ring off her finger, but to no avail. Finally, one of them pulled out a knife. He began to cut through her finger, but…" Anna exhaled dramatically, "as the first slice went through her skin, she gave a jolt. She was alive, and awake! The robber was so shocked upon his apparently resurrected victim, that he died of fright right there, that very night!"

Kratos yawned pointedly. "How very frightening."

"You know," she said, frowning, "That's not really fair. You've been around for four thousand years, of course you've heard them all."

He chuckled. "Ghost stories never scared me much. You should try that on Yuan, he's got quite a vivid imagination."

"Hmm…" Anna glanced at him. "You don't get scared easily, huh? Tell me, what stories _are _you scared of?"

Kratos leaned against a tree, thinking. For a few long moments, the only sound was the fire crackling and the rustle of the wind through bare trees. Anna shivered, clutching her coat closer to her.

Finally, Kratos said, "I don't think there are any."

"Come on," she said, rolling her eyes. "You have to be afraid of something. One thing."

"…"

"Oh, I see," she said. "You _are _afraid of something, you just don't want to admit it."

Will you let it drop if I tell you a scary story?" he asked. Anna nodded, grinning. "This is one that convinced Yuan to put off his wedding to Martel."

"What does that have to do with anything?" she asked.

"Because this story is about a bride. I told it to him three days before he proposed to her."

"That was nice of you," Anna said, rolling her eyes. "So tell me. I'm a little harder to scare."

"If your idea of scary is that grave robber's tale, I'm afraid your standards aren't very high."

Anna narrowed her eyes. "Just get on with it."

"Very well." Kratos cleared his throat. "There was once a young couple I knew-"

"Wait a second," Anna interrupted. "This isn't going to be one of those 'I knew a guy who knew a guy' stories, is it?"

Kratos glared. "You'll never find out if you keep butting in. Now, may I continue?"

"Sorry."

He sighed. "As I was saying, I once knew a young couple-personally, I might add-who were completely in love."

"Scaaary," Anna said sarcastically, feigning terror.

"They were so in love," he said, shooting her a dirty look, "that they decided to get married, even though everyone they knew thought they were too young and immature."

"Did you?" Anna interjected.

"Did I what?" he asked, exasperated.

"Think they were too young and immature." He frowned at her. "What?"

"That's not important," he said. "The point is, the couple went against the advice of their family and friends and began planning their marriage. The ceremony came and went, a beautiful white wedding. The groom's grandmother, whose husband had passed away years ago, gave them a mansion to start their new life in, saying that it was too empty for a single old lady. They were so happy about this amazing gift that they decided to invite the wedding party over and celebrate. So, about thirty people joined in the reception at the old mansion."

"I'm terrified right now." Anna leaned back against Noishe. "Seriously, I'm going to have nightmares about this."

"I'm not finished," he snapped. "As I was saying, they were all partying at the mansion, drinking and laughing. After a while, the bride suggested that they play hide-and-seek, since there were bound to be great hiding places in the mansion. They all agreed that the groom should be it first."

"Yep, children's games. My worst nightmare. How did you know?" Anna began petting Noishe, much to his delight. "He knows me too well, buddy."

"Will you be quiet?" Kratos said. "There's more to it than children's games. Now, the game began as usual, with the groom counting to one hundred and everyone hiding. Within the first half hour, he'd found everyone, with one exception. His new bride, still wearing her wedding dress and carrying her bouquet, was nowhere to be found. The entire group searched for her, but to no avail. Finally, late into the night, they all agreed that she must've had second thoughts and used the game as the perfect chance to run off. The groom, heart-broken, searched all through the woods, in the town, anywhere he thought she would be. By morning, he was forced to accept that his young bride had left him."

Noishe whined as a gust of wind blew across them, making the fire flicker. Anna shivered and snuggled closer to the furry animal. Kratos continued.

"The groom refused to live in the mansion, as it reminded him of his heartbreak. Instead, he continued living alone in his house. The years passed, and he never loved another woman. One day, after his grandmother died, he was forced to go into the attic of the mansion to sort through her things. He came upon a trunk and, upon opening it, saw a grisly sight."

"What was it?" Anna asked eagerly, her eyes wide. "Did the grandmother kill her? I bet she killed her!"

"Are you going to let me finish or not?" he asked. She made a zipping motion over her mouth. "Thank you. Now, as I said, he opened the trunk. Inside was a skeleton, clothed in a white wedding dress, with a gold band on her finger, and a bouquet of petrified flowers in her bony fingers."

Anna gasped. "The bride!"

"Indeed. You see, as far as anyone can tell, she found the perfect hiding spot. When she climbed in, it must have locked or been too heavy, and she was trapped inside. There were dried blood smears and scratch marks on the inside of the lid, meaning she screamed and clawed at the top until her fingers bled. Over the next few hours, while they were searching for her, she suffocated in the tiny, enclosed space. The same way someone would die if they were buried alive in a coffin, interestingly enough."

The end of the story was met with silence. Finally, Anna sighed and said, "Geez, that was creepy."

"Scarier than yours?" Kratos teased as they prepared for bed. Anna laid down next to him.

"Much. Still, though, I think it would've been better if the grandmother had killed her."

"Why would the grandmother want to kill her?" Kratos asked, rolling his eyes.

"I don't know, maybe she was jealous? Had a freaky crush on her grandson?"

"That…is scary," he admitted. "But in a whole different way."

They both dozed off, Anna curled unusually close to Kratos tonight. After barely an hour, he felt her jerk awake.

"What was that?"she asked. "Kratos, something's there!"

"Calm down," he muttered, eyes still closed. "You're just jumpy from the stories."

"No, I'm serious. There's something out there." She stood up and he sighed. "I'll be right back. I'm just going to go check."

"Anna." No answer. "Anna, there's nothing there. Get back to bed." He opened his eyes a crack to see Noishe sniffing and whining in the direction she must've gone. "Anna!" he yelled louder. Still no answer.

A shrill scream pierced the night, and Kratos was on his feet in seconds, sword out. "Anna!" he yelled. Noishe barked once and took off through the woods, his master close behind him.

"Anna!" Kratos yelled, feeling his heart race. He should've listened to her, he should've gone with her. Why, why was he so stubborn and stupid? "Anna, where are you?"

Noishe had run ahead of him, still growling and barking. Another scream rang out, making Kratos both worried and relieved. On one hand, screaming was bad. On the other, screaming meant she wasn't dead.

"Anna!" He focused all his hearing on her location, finally able to determine the direction he should head in. "Anna!"

He stopped. There was no sound anymore: no barking, no screaming, nothing. He was panting, not from physical exertion, but from panic. "Anna, can you hear me?" Silence.

Something rustled nearby. He turned, just in time for Anna to jump from the tree above him and land on his back, sending them both to the ground.

"Gotcha!" She let out a burst of laughter. "I scared you, didn't I?"

"Anna, what the hell is wrong with you?" he growled, practically throwing her off him. "I almost had a heart attack! What happened?"

"Well…" she said, grinning, "you said you don't get scared. So I had to test it out. As it turns out, you _do_ have a fear."

Kratos stood up, his heart still thumping in his chest. "I thought you were attacked by something. I thought…" He trailed off. "Never mind. You got me."

"Ha!" She wrapped her arms around him. "Man, I can't believe it. I scared you."

"Just…don't ever do that again, okay?" he said. She kissed his cheek.

"Fine. Next time, I scream, it'll be the real deal, alright?"

"It better be," he grumbled. "Haven't you ever heard of the boy who cried wolf?"

"Okay, okay. I promise I won't do that again. But on one condition," she added.

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And that is?"

Her face broke into a wide smile. "Tell me your biggest fear."

"I thought that would be obvious," he said. "Losing you."

"That's sweet. It won't work. Seriously, what are you afraid of that's so embarrassing?"

She might've been imagining it, but she saw a pale tint on Kratos' cheeks appear. "Don't laugh," he warned.

"Would I ever laugh at you?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Yes. Alright, I'll tell you. I'm-I'm…afraid of heights."

This statement was met with dead silence for a few seconds. Then Anna broke into peels of hysterical laughter. "Heights? Heights? You have wings! You live on a comet! How can you be afraid of heights?"

"You said you wouldn't laugh," he grumbled as she leaned against him for support. "I am…uneasy about being up so high. Falling would be a disaster for me."

"So that's why you like to walk everywhere," she said. "Oh, this is great. You're never going to live this down."


End file.
